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This mill is one of the five mills of the Grote Veenpolder. The mill was built in 1871 and over the years it has had different owners. In 1956 the mill was temporarily shut down because the mill was no longer in order. An attempt was made to repair the mill, but in 1958 the mill was finally shut down. The mill was sold to a new owner, who converted the mill into a weekend residence. In 1969 there was a small overhaul to restore the dilapidated mill, but the mill was no longer capable of turning. In 2005, the mill was renovated on a large scale, making the mill operational again. Yet the mill never ran, because it was mainly used as a home. In 2013 the blades finally made a few laps again after decades of inactivity. During the last refurbishment it was found that both rods of the mill date from 1871, the year of construction of the mill. That is quite unique.

The De Rietvink windmill is the first windmill built on the Grote Veenpolder. The mill was built in 1855. In 1921 an American wind motor was installed in the mill to keep the Veenpolder dry. The mill had different owners over the centuries until the mill finally fell out of operation in 1964. The mill was sold to an owner who furnished De Rietvink as a holiday home. By 2005 the mill had become very dilapidated due to a lack of maintenance and movement. A 2008 saw a better time at the mill when the mill was sold to new owners. They started extensive restorations as soon as possible with the help of mill makers and all kinds of volunteers. The mill was completely renovated and the environment was also cleaned up by pruning trees and shrubs. In 2010 the mill was finally up and running again after 16 years of inactivity. The mill has been running regularly ever since.